It snowed… a lot… 17 inches worth. There was quite a frenzy to complete all the garden clean-up before the storm, and we finished just in time. Now we have winter wonderland for a few days until the next storm washes it away.

After 2 1/2 days of snowing, the sun came out

I got a lot of indoor work done during the storm though…here’s one of my decorations. Merry Christmas to all.

It was such a beautiful fall. We lingered in the warmth; we admired the still blooming flowers. Then boom… it got cold.. .real cold. So the clean-up is still not done. I cut back most of the stuff that gets mushy – irises and daylilies. But there is still much to do

Most of what is left is the woody stuff, and I will leave some of that until spring.

The meadow got mowed just in time

Although the flowers are gone, the frost on the foliage is delightful

Decorative globes shine in the morning light

This is another reason to grow Epimedium – wonderful color on the foliage in late autumn

And finally a spectacular sunset from the other night…

No snow yet..but its coming.

The growing season is about over in my neck of the woods. There are still mums and asters and a few other things blooming, but I’ve begun the seasonal garden clean-up. The garden looked like this in mid-October.

It has been a beautiful autumn. There’s always lots of work to do when putting the garden to bed for the winter, but with all the visitors and pretty colors, the chore has been more enjoyable.

The veggies were amazing this year. However, the retaining wall separating the two tiered raised bed had been eaten away by ants and was rotting away. What to do? Garden club friend Celia was replacing a retaining wall and had stones she did not need! So we rescued them.

October has arrived and here are a few photos from the perennial garden. Its darn pretty out there.

The colors will be gone soon and the tedious clean-up will begin, but in the meantime, ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Its a beautiful dewy morning.

More to come in the next few weeks…..

Well that was fast. August disappeared just like it always seems to. We had some really hot days and some lovely days. We dad lots of company so we enjoyed the garden many times. The weeds grew, the flowers bloomed, we harvested the veggies. Such are the lazy hazy days.

You may recall that last fall we “hoicked out” the lilac in front of the fence since it was taking over that area. My thought was to put the dahlias there. I think it was a success.

These dahlias are over 60 years old. My Mom and Dad grew them in our garden in Connecticut and my siblings and I have kept the tubers going for eons.

You may also recall that we removed a huge part of the forsythia hedge last fall so that we would have a better view of the meadow from the new porch. I think that was a success too.

The garden isn’t done yet – soon there will be mums, asters, foliage turning and fall clean-up.

Its time for the annual daylily post. The abundant spring rains produced an incredible display this year.

There’s lots more, but these are a few favorites.

The daylilies will be the main show in the garden very soon but the last two weeks have featured the Iris Ensata – the Japanese water iris.   I got these iris years ago from a friend who grows them here in town.  We had a lot of rain this spring so they all bloomed for me this year !

Hanakaido Pink

Raspberry Candy

Unknown blue

Ruffled White Water

Silent Thunder

Warai Hotel

Frilled Enchantment

All the spring rains have really produced an incredible show this year.  The iris are spectacular.  Some cultivars are very old, most are unnamed, many were given to me by friends.  A few that I moved last fall were stubborn and did not bloom this year, but I had other surprises with some blooming that have not done so in years.  So without further ado… behold the iris

Well that was quite nice wasn’t it?  The Japanese Iris (Ensata) will be along in a few weeks.. lots of buds though.

Greetings gardeners. The lovely tree peony in the last post is still blooming thanks to the cool weather and a parasol.  My garden club friend Olga gave me the peony years ago and last week she gave me a parasol to shade it.  The effect is stunning.  Thank you, Olga. I am posting this photo for you, Jessica. I don’t know Jessica but we “met” through garden blogging.  She lives in Devon, England and is the writer of the Rusty Duck Blog.  She and her husband are renovating an amazing cottage, and I thought this image might just bring her a moment of tranquility.

So this one is for you, Jessica.  I hope it gives you an ahhhhhh moment during the turmoil of  plaster and cob and mud and all the rest.  And I hope many of my readers will read her blog https://www.rustyduck.net/  and follow along as the renovations proceed.  Her garden is pretty special too.

Oh yes, and the iris have begun blooming.